Return to Earth (w/ Orion)

[Amaranthine]

With five weeks left until her eighteenth birthday, Aislin Taylor had been acutely aware of the fact that she could potentially die soon - that was part of life on the Ark. The punishment for all crimes was death unless you were a minor, in which case you were sent to lock up until your eighteenth birthday and then got reviewed. She knew the statistics, though - the vast majority of juvenile delinquents did not pass their review, and as if they had committed their crimes as an adult, their eighteenth birthday became their last. She could hope and pray all that she wanted, but nothing would change that.

Aislin's crime wasn't even that bad - it wasn't like growing a bit of weed for herself was hurting anyone. It hadn't even been her grow-op - okay, yes, she had been involved in its making and growth, but it had been the idea of two of her best friends, Monty and Jasper. Maybe she shouldn't have continued it after it nearly got busted, and her friends went down for sneaking their hands in to the Ark's "official" supply, but damn it - it was potentially the last piece of her friends she would ever get... not to mention she really, really liked getting a bit silly - be that drunk or stoned. Who could blame her? She was seventeen and on the world's most boring space station.

Her feeling of impending doom had only amplified today - after being tossed in a drop ship and finding out that she was being sent to earth. Two people died as they went through the atmosphere - the rest of them potentially would as they hit the ground or soon after. She had sworn that she had more time, but it seemed that she didn't. She was expendable, after all - all one hundred of the prisoners kept in lock up were, and that was why they of all people were sent to see if the ground was safe.

As Bellamy Blake made a scene and his younger sister Octavia, who was imprisoned simply for being born, took the first steps on the ground, Aislin was scanning the drop ship for any sight of her people - her best friends, who she knew had to be there as well. Only when she couldn't catch sight of them from her part of the ship did she dare to finally unbuckle, and for the first time in her life she breathed fresh air and had solid, uneven dirt beneath her feet. Even then she continued to watch for any sign of those she cared about. For all she knew, today would be the last day that she would ever get to see them.

 

[Orion]

The first thought in Jasper Jordan's head as he realized that he was heading to earth with every other prisoner was that he would get to see Aislin again - for more than the couple hours a day afforded to him during Earth Skills class in those weeks leading up to today. Monty? He was at his side - he knew he could see Monty and they had even talked on the way down. Ace wasn't in sight, though, so as soon as he walked through the opened hatch of the exodus ship his dark eyes were scanning the crowd for her familiar mop of curls.

She was one of the last ones to leave the ark, but Jasper noticed her immediately. Monty could tell, too - he hadn't seen Jasper smile like that since before lock up. Having spent years being friends with these two, it was no surprise to Monty that Jasper would want to go her. To any other outsider they had been so close that many assumed they were together - and they weren't, but only Monty was privy to the fact that Jasper was hopelessly in love with her. In fact, Jasper was so far in denial that even he didn't seem to know.

His eyes lit up lighter than ever as he made his way towards his favorite person, and he grinned ear to ear as he realized she hadn't noticed him. That left him able to sneak up behind her, and Jasper was definitely going to take advantage of that. As he got nice and close to her back, he reached out and squeezed her sides tight.

"Boo!" He yelled in an attempt to spook her.

 

[Amaranthine]

It seemed that she had been looking in the wrong direction, because Aislin definitely did not see tha lanky boy sneaking up on her. In fact, she didn't notice him at all until a squeal escaped her lips and she jumped probably half a foot before spinning around to look at her assailant. She had been prepared to slap whoever it was, but as soon as the seventeen year old recognized the face of her favourite person in the world, she couldn't help but smile. Goggles on his head, shit-eating grin wide across his face - yep, definitely Jasper. She had known that he would be down with her so his presence wasn't exactly a surprise, but it thrilled her none the less.

"Jasper!" She nearly screamed as she laid eyes on him, and before she had even finished saying his name she had wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him tight. It was natural to her - he always was. In the past they had been near inseperable, and she could admit that at times she was a touchy little shit. "Oh man, I've missed you so much. Can you believe that we're really in Earth right now? I never thought that would ever happen to me - holy shit."

 

[Orion]

Jasper couldn't contain his laughter as Aislin spooked - and neither could Monty, who had followed shortly after him. She looked so pissed but she looked so cute, and he knew from the way that Ais immediately smiled at him that he wasn't in trouble. He never was - she would just get him back later.

That was a worry for another Jasper, though. All this one could focus on was sqeezing her tight and breathing her in for the first time in months. The Ark hadn't exactly welcomed prisoner to prisoner contact, so he hadn't had a chance to hug his best friend since before his arrest.

"I know, can you believe it, Ais?" Though he knew not to trust the ground just yet, he was thrilled to be reunited with friends. "Here's hoping we don't die buut,' he trailed on aimlessly. It was a jokey statement, but the words were true.

 

[Amaranthine]

Jasper was trying to be funny, but they could actually die down here. Aislin responded with a punch to his shoulder, a displeased expression, and then another hug. She breathed him in for the first time in months, and immediately she felt relief - she could die today as long as she could see her people one last time, and here her favourite choice was in front of her.

Given how closely she clung to him, it would be no surprise if people thought that they were together. In the past, people had - her dad even had. Strangely enough that wasn't the case - though she would have absolutely loved to be able to say otherwise. As long as she could remember, Aislin had been absolutely by the lanky, google-toting boy. She had never been given any reason to think he might be interested, though, so she played it safe with him.

"You're not wrong, but you didn't have to say that out loud." At the same time they were faced with a new, silent question: what next? With their first steps on the ground out of the way, how did they try to avoid death?

 

[Orion]

Jasper couldn't pay attention to what was going on around him - all that mattered was Ais. Eventually he did come to notice that issues were arising now that they were on the ground, though. It seemed that they had landed far from Mount Weather. Clarke Griffin wanted everyone to get moving - Bellamy Blake did not.

Jasper himself was neutral on the manner. He cared little about anything except the fact that he was with Aislin and his other friends again. However how long could that last if they lacked supplies? He continued to hold on to the curly haired girl and looked down at her. "What do you think? We're probably going to need food at some point, and 3 people aren't going to be enough. Do you want to go?"

 

[Amaranthine]

Aislin herself was leaning towards joining the team heading towards Mount Weather. It seemed that her goggle toting best friend wasn't as fond of the idea, though. Even though he held her so close that she couldn't see his face - which she was loving because he was warm and tall and his heart pattered right beneath her ear - she could hear the hesitance in his voice. Aislin continued to hold on to him - it didn't feel anything other than natural, and she wouldn't be the one to let go.

"I think it would be best to go." Honesty was the best route - and frankly, the more the better. If the stuck around the drop ship would they really be able to complain in two days time when hunger pangs made them wish that they were dead already? On top of that, Aislin was a natural caretaker - she always wanted to do good by others. "What about you? What do you rhink?

 

[Orion]

"Yeah that makes sense. I'll let them know we will come along." If Aislin wanted to go then Jasper would go - but like the girl in his arms, he didn't want to let go. He only relented because it made sense to speak up, and even then he barely left her side. In fact, his hand still rested on her shoulder.

"Hey - we're in too. Make that five." After seeing his friends volunteer, Monty did as well. That made six - a much better scouting party than three. Jasper didn't care where he was as long as his friends were close.

 

[Amaranthine]

The six of them would hopefully make a good travelling party - or so Aislin found herself thinking. With any luck they would be able to make it to Mount Weather and back quickly, but there was easily a day's trip between here and there. If they wanted to get moving then they should as soon as possible, so everyone quickly started to make sure that they were ready. No one knew what they would face, but it wasn't like they had many options - they had no weapons, not even food for the trip there. Basically, if they did stick back they would be sitting ducks.

Because there wasn't much to "get ready" it wasn't long before it was time to start moving. Clarke took the lead with the map in hand, guiding them through the woods that stood between them and the mountain bunker that awaited them. Aislin was happy to hover at the back of the group, on Jasper's left with Monty on his right. She hovered close, almost a little bit too much so - occasionally, her hand would sweep against is as they walked. "Do you think we'll make it there before night?" She asked him, glancing to her side so that she could look up towards his goofy, goggle-bearing face.

 

[Orion]

Jasper found Aislin's presence next to him calming. At the same time it left him a little flustered, though. Once upon a time her existence near him had been normal, but even back then he couldn't help but go a little red in the face every time she had backed in to him or rested her hand on his back. He didn't exactly have confidence with women and though his friendship with Aislin was perfect, every time that he had to teeter around his more-than-friendly affection he felt like a complete imbecile. Luckily he was very good at faking things until he made them, and even if he didn't feel too positive about some interactions he hoped that she failed to notice that things were off.

"I doubt it, which means we're going to have to find somewhere to camp along the way." Jasper didn't have a problem with that, really. It would be better if they didn't have to stop for the night, but it would be his first on the ground as well as the first after getting his friends back. It would have to be good.

 

[Amaranthine]

That didn't sound too bad to Aislin, who was just happy to be reunited with her friends and very much alive. The ground was survivable and she had Monty and Jasper around her again and that would have to be enough for now. Everyone knew that at some point they were going to have to stop and find somewhere to sleep for the night, but they would reach the mountain most likely some time during the next morning - if not then by noon.

For a while they were simply able to be and god did it ever feel good. The curly haired girl was able to keep to her best friend's side, and for the first couple hours it was the three of them - her, Jasper and Monty - lingering behind the others as they chatted and acted a little bit goofy with each other. It wasn't long before they came across a lake though, and Aislin was amazed. She'd seen open bodies of water before - but that was only in books. What would it be like to touch? The brunette raced to the water's edge and slipped her shoes off to dip her toes in. With wide eyes and a wider smile she turned back to her friends and urged them forward, proceeding to hop in.

She shivered, even shook a little - the water was cold but so pleasantly so. "Come on it!" She yelled, especially to Jasper. She was nearly waist deep and looked like she was having the best day of her life even though she'd soaked her clothes. However, just seconds later she screamed as a sharp pain shot through her leg and something latched on.

 

[Orion]

Aislin looked absolutely adorable in the water with that wide grin on her face. She looked so truly happy that it was hard for Jasper to hold back the fact that he wanted to jump in as well. It was a good thing that he had started to wade forward, because just as he did so, Ais cried out. Luckily Jasper was the first to be able to reach her as the others cried out, able to see the shape of something beneath the water's surface. As he got closer Jasper could see it as well, and he grabbed on to her as tight as he could as it tried to pull her away. In the end he won the fight.

As quickly as he could, Jasper scooped her up. He wasn't the strongest man around, as if his lanky body didn't leave that without saying, but he was able to manage and he didn't put her down until they reached shore. He sat down beside her at the same time, and looked at her with wide eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked, starting to frantically check her for injuries on her leg. Everyone else had come over in worry as well.